Steering-gear lock for motor-vehicles.



M.. FISHER. y STEERING GEAR LOCK FOR MOTOR VEHICLES.

' APPLICATION FILED JULY 30. 19H. v L ,252,656; Patented Apr. 16,1918.

Il I

' UNITED STATES PATENT/Courroie.

MICHAEL FISHER, 0E PROVIDENCE, RHODE-ISLAND.

STEERING-GEAR LOCK FOR MOTR-VEVHICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent Patented Apl'. 16, 1918.

Application filed July 30, 1917. Serial No. 183,606.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MICHAEL FISHER, a

The object of my invention is to improve A the construction of a Steering gear lock for automobiles whereby, the front or steering wheels of the machine are turned at an angle relative to, the machine and locked in that position, thereby preventing the theft of the machine by towing the machine away. Further objects of my invention are vto provide such a lock with means for locking the steering wheel to the steering post, with means for adj ustably securing the lock to various sizes of steering posts, to improve the operation and -tosirnplify and reduce the cost of construction.

My invention consists in the peculiar and novel construction of a steering gear lock and,

'for motor vehicles, said steering gear lock having details of construction, as will be more fully set forth hereinafter, and claimed.

Figure 1 is a side view of the' steering wheel and upper poion of the steering post of an automobile, provided with my im.A

proved steering wheel lock and showing th same in the locked position.

Fig. 2 -is an enlarged vertical sectional view of the lock, looking into the lock.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional,

view of the lock taken as indicated by line 3.3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged transverse'seetional view ofthe lock taken .on line 4.4 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 5 is a top view of the adjusting member removed from the lock.

In the drawing, 6 indicates the steering wheel and -7 the upper portion of an automobile steering post provided with my improved steering gear lock 8.` The steering wheel 6 has the usual arms 9.9 and the steering post-7 is of the usual tubular construetion and has the oppositely disposed small holes 10.10 as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. ,d The lock 8 consists ofA a box shaped frame 11 having a concaved back portion 12, re- 60 cesses 13.13 in the back, a raised central portion 14 extending vertically through which is a rectangular shaped bore 15. The raised portion 14 also has a square transverse hole 16 into the bore 15 and, a vparallel hole 17 65 intersecting a recess 18. A pin 19 on the back enters a hole 1() in the steering post 7. A locking bar 20 has a sliding fit in the bore 15, a U shaped upper end 21' and ratchet teeth 22 on its edge, as shown in Fig, 2. 70 A locking bolt 23 has a sliding lit'in the hole 16, a beveled end Q4, engaging with ftheL ratchet teeth 22, on the locking bar 20,3,

notch in its underside, and a side arm 2G which enters the hole 17. Light and 75 heavy whip springs 27 and 28 are secured at their lower ends to thev frame 11; thel free end-of the light spring 27 bearing on the end*l of the locking bolt 23, and the free end 0f y the heavy spring 28 4being intermediatethe 80 free end ofthe spring 27 andthe end of the frame 11, as shown. in Fig. A key operated member'Q) has an arrn 30 in the notch 25 in the locking bolt, and a key-hole 31 in its outer end. This key operated member 29 is supported at its inner end in a bearing in the back of the frame 11 and at its outer end in a bearing in a front plate 32, through which it extends fiush with the face of the plate. The front plate 32 has a lug 33011 90 its back and in which is a hole 31. -The lug 33 enters the recess 18 in the raised member 14 of the frame and the side arm 26 on the locking bolt 23 enters the hole 3lin the lug 33, thereby locking the front plate 32 to the 95 frame 11 as shown in Fig. 4.. A U shaped fastening member 35 goes around the steering post 7 and has a recess 36,a pin 37 and ends 38.38 adjustablysecured `in the recesses 13.13 l in the back of the frame by the concealed screws 39.39 as shown in Fig. 4. A crescent shaped adjusting member 4() is shaped to fit into the fastening member 35 and around the steering post 7 and has anjextension 41 fitting .into the recess'3li, a hole 42 in the ex- 105 l tension for the pin 37, a recess 43, correting within the other, :for dierent sizes of` steering posts. The pin 37 enters the hole in the largest .size steering post andfone n or more of. the`- adjusting members are used 5 for the smaller sizes of steering posts.

`- W'hen in use my steering gear lock is rigshown, are turned at an'angle to the machine` by the steering Wheel G until a spoke 9 is spoke 9 of the steering Wheel, when the steering gear is automatically locked, by the locking bolt mengagingv with a tooth or' the ratchet teeth 22, and holding the locking bar in the locked position. llilith the 'liront or steering wheels of the machine now locked at angle to the machine, it is impossible for a thief to steal the machine by towing the same away. To unlock the steering gear, a key is in- `sorted in the key hole 3l and turned to the left. This partly rotates the key .member 29 and through the arm 30 moves the locking bolt against the tension of the spring 2?, ont of engagement with the locking bar 20, which drops down by gravity, thereby unlocking the steering gear. `When attaching or, detaching the lock from the steering post, the key isA turned still farther to the left, against the tension oi' the heavy spring 28,thereby entirely withdrawing' 'the side .arm 26 from the lug The front plate 32 1. A steering gear lcclr for motor vehicles comprising a box shaped loci; `haine, a loe-ln` ing barreciprocally supported in the frame and having a iti-shaped upper end and .Y ratchet, teeth on its edge, a locking bolt en Ygaging` with the ratchet teeth, a` key opern ated member engaging rwith the locking bolt', a light spring engaging with the locking bolt,l a heavy spring adJacent lthe light spring, a'

Vliront plate o-nthe frame' and having a lag on its back inf which isi' a hole, an arm on the locking bolt entering the hole in the lug and means for adjnstably securing theloclt to `the steering-post or' a. motor vehicle, whereby a turning movement of the key. operated i the li` "lit spring `vill unlock i tu rther turning finove- ,se member eganst over the lockS. The locking bar 20 is nowA raised until the U shaped end 2l straddlcs a Ycan now be removed oraccess to the con-l Lenawee both vthe light and heavy springsivill un lock the front plate.

i `2. A. steering gear lock for motor vehlcles comprising a box shaped locli frame having y an open front and a raised central portion in vwhich is a bore, a transverse hole extendi ing into the bore and a recess in the front a locking bar in the bore, a locking bolt in .t e transverse hole and engaging with the locking bar, a front plate on the lock frame and having a lug in the recess in the raised central' portion, a side arm on the lockingholt extending through a. hole in the raised central portion and through a hole in the lugr on the front plate, key operated means for operating the locking bolt and means for securing the lock to the steering post oi a motor vehicle.

3. A. steering gear lock for motor vehicles comprising a box shaped lock frame, a lock-` ing bar reciprocally supported .in thej lock frame, a locking bolt reciprocally supported f in the trame and engaging with the locking.,

bar, key operated means engaging with the locking bolt, a light whip spring secured. toy i the frame and engaging-l .With the locking bolt, a heavy Whip spring secured to the iframe yintermediate the light Whip spring and the frame, a front plate o n the traine" and having a lug on its back, a side arm on the locking bolt engaging with the lu fr on thel front plateandmeans for securing the lock Yto the steering post of a motor vehicle.

4i. A steering gear leciti-tor motor vehicles comprising a boi; shaped look frame-having a curved recess and two adjacent recesses in the back, a raised central portionin which is a bore, a transverse hole entering the bore,

a parallel transverse hole and a recess in the front intersecting the parallel traifisversel hole, a locking bar vin the bore and having ratchet teeth, va locking bolt in the transverse hole and engaging with the ratchet i engaging with the locking bolt, a light Whip spring secured to the 'frame and engaging `teeth on the locking bar, key operated means f with the locking bolt, a heavy Whip spring `secured to the frame intermediate the light y Whip spring and the frame, afront plate on the frame and having alug on its back and in which is a hole, a. side arm on the locking bolt' extending 'into the parallel ho-lein the raised central portion and'through the hole.

in the lug on the front plate and means :tor

securing the lock to the steering post of a motor vehicleu 5., A steering gear lock for motor vehicles comprising a box shaped lock frame having a central concaved back portionv and two adjacent recesses in the back, a raised central portion' in the frame and having a rectangw lar shapedgbore, square transverse hole' entering the bore, n parallel hole [and a recess in the frontV intersecting the par,j

allel hole, a looking bar in the bore and having a U-shaped end and ratchet teeth on its edge,a locking bolt `in the transverse holev and engaging With the ratchet teeth on the locking bar, a light Whip springv secured to the frame and engaging with the looking bolt, a heavy Whip spring with the parallel hole in the raised cent1-a1 l portion, a sidey arm on the lookin bolil extending into the parallel hole an the hole in the lug, a key operated member having a bearing in the frame, a bearing in the front plate, a keyhole and an arm entering a notch in the locking bolt and means for seeringthe lock to the steering post of 20 a motor vehicle.

In'testimony whereof, have signed my name to this specification. Y* MICHAEL FISHERs through 15 

